


New Year's Eve Surprises

by teamcalebmalphas



Category: chronicles of nick
Genre: AU, M/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9142447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamcalebmalphas/pseuds/teamcalebmalphas
Summary: Happy New Year's Eve. Caleb is pining over his best friend.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place on a timeline that is after Invision (technically, only to allow Xev to go out in public after the gift a certain character gave him at the end of that story--to give as little spoilers away as possible) and on a timeline where Nick and Kody aren't dating, only really close friends. I wanted this short and easy but didn't want to take Kody out of the story all together.  
> I hope you enjoy and I do plan to get back to Chronicles of Naleb. I haven't forgotten it. I'll probably have a chapter or two up within the next couple of weeks. I'm home for break until January 17th and I'll be alone most of the day mondays through fridays so look forward to that. I will let you all know when a chapter is being worked on and when it'll be uploaded.

Caleb Malphas was never one for celebrating most holidays. There were a few he dabbled in, but it wasn’t really in him to go all out. It’s why he never disclosed his birthday to anyone except Lilliana—no matter how much his young master pressed him for that piece of information. During his three years with the light of his life, he found it possible to celebrate holidays because he loved to see her eyes bright with joy, her glowing smile. She never made him do what he didn’t want to, but she was the reason he was able to do any of it. She really turned him around in a lot of ways he never thought would be possible.

Now, with her gone, the desire to celebrate locked itself away, the key shattered into bits. Some holidays didn’t seem worth it to him to celebrate—he wasn’t tied down to patriotism, anyway. Some would only depress him to celebrate without her, knowing how much she would love to decorate a Christmas tree or see homes decorated with lights as it snowed in the winter. This year, Nick wanted Caleb to have the full Christmas experience—lights, decorations, a tree, cookie baking, gifts, dinner with friends and family. While Caleb appreciated Nick’s effort, this year scared him. Not because he spiraled into thoughts about Lilliana; because she didn’t come to his mind when he was alone with Nick while they did their Christmas thing.

Caleb loved once but things worth lasting never did, his relationship with Lilliana was no exception to that rule. And he was aware of his growing feelings for Nick. He thought of Nick as his best friend sooner than he ever let anyone get close to him. The night of Christmas Eve definitely proved Caleb’s feelings for Nick. They’d been baking cookies when…

He didn’t even want to think about it. Something so embarrassing he thought Nick would keep distancing himself from him after Christmas, yet he’d invited him to the Sanctuary where the Werebears were hosting a New Year’s Eve party. Caleb sat at one of the far tables, one in the corner next to a window. Outside, lights draped from the buildings lining the street. It was a beautiful sight. One Lilliana would have definitely been able to just absorb for hours in silence, weaved in her own thoughts.

Right then, the live band was loud and on fire. Lights flashed and people—human and preternatural alike—drank and danced the last hellish year away, in hopes the next one wouldn’t be as hellish. Caleb’s eyes landed on Nick as he danced clumsily in a group with Kody, Simi, Brynna, Aeron, and Xev. A smile on his face, Nick seemed as if he didn’t want to be any place else. The thought brought warmth to Caleb. Warmth…and sadness. This was all Caleb was allowed. Distance. A fantasy with no potential for reality. His feelings would need to be put out the ashes stuffed in a jar, sealed, and placed on a dusty shelf in the depths of his soul.

And why would Nick ever want the same thing Caleb wanted? Why would Nick want him any more than their established friendship? Brynna was crushing hard on Nick—not like that was ever going anywhere either—and it was obvious to those who weren’t Nick. Kody was a close friend of Nick’s and gorgeous, she might like him, too. And Casey had made it painstakingly clear that she was into Nick when she wasn’t into Stone. He had potential girlfriends all over the place, including ones who weren’t close to him already, so why him? He was just the best friend. The pining best friend, but still nothing more.

Taking a shaky breath, and deciding that celebrating the New Year just wasn’t who he was or who he wanted to be then, he rose to his feet and maneuvered through the crowd, heading for the door so he could then head home. Nick met his gaze as he stood and Caleb simply nodded once to him before ducking out.

 

A knock sounded at Caleb’s front door and hour and a half after he returned. Pausing his video game, he got up to answer the door.

Nick Gautier stood on the other side, his phone in his hand. Those blue pools shimmered in the light that poured out from behind Caleb. A playful grin spread across Nick’s face.

“Why’d you leave so soon?”

“It dawned on me that I don’t want to celebrate just another day that’s going to blur into the days I’ve lived before and the days I’m bound to live soon enough.” Caleb answered.

Nick glanced at his phone. “Well, it’s the beginning of a new year.” He held the screen up for Caleb to see the digital midnight. Nick stepped closer to Caleb. “There’s a tradition of kissing someone at midnight…”

Caleb swallowed. “That’s an odd tradition.”

Nick slid his hand around Caleb’s hip to land on his lower back, just above the hem of his sweatpants. “Yeah, it is.” His lips connected gently with Caleb’s, sparks erupting like fireworks in Caleb’s soul. The voice inside his head warning him to dismiss his feelings for Nick faded with every blissful second they stood there. Caleb gave in to his senses, his instincts. His hands rose to hold Nick, one gripping his hip and the other cupping his cheek, bringing him closer. Their mouths danced with one another, forgetting this wretched reality by crafting their own.

Unfortunately, their reality broke when the kiss did. Nick pulled away, collecting his breath as Caleb released the stress of keeping his feelings secret. “That was unexpected.” Nick commented.

“You came knocking on my door not expecting that?”

“I thought you were going to stop me.” Nick defended, still holding onto Caleb. “After what happened a few days ago while we were baking cookies, I wasn’t so sure my feelings for you were unrequited. I wanted to know for sure.”

That night flashed through his head, the brief and tender touches; the flirty and boarder line seductive glances they shared. Then Caleb and Nick ended up too close. That was the moment Caleb believed was the end of their friendship. Turns out he was wrong. Happily wrong.

“Are you going to keep me standing out here or are you going to let me inside?” Nick asked.

Caleb yanked Nick into his home, closing his front door and trapping Nick between the door and himself. “Happy New Year, Gautier.”

“Back at you, Malphas.”


End file.
